Dalton steps up to keep Cats' three-in-a-row quest on track

Kilkenny got off to a dream start thanks to a goal from Aoife
Doyle but four points from Aoife Donohue kept Galway in touch
and though Denise Gaule found the target on three occasions, the
sides were separated by a point after 23 minutes. Photo: Sportsfile

Kilkenny are still on target for a third Littlewoods Ireland Camogie League Division 1 title in a row and fourth in five seasons after getting the better of Galway by 2-10 to 1-9 in Banagher.

Kilkenny got off to a dream start thanks to a goal from Aoife Doyle but four points from Aoife Donohue kept Galway in touch and though Denise Gaule found the target on three occasions, the sides were separated by a point after 23 minutes. Galway were rocked by a goal from Julie Ann Malone and four points from Danielle Morrissey, Gaule, Katie Power and Morrissey again to make it 2-7 to 0-5 at half-time.

The westerners composed themselves at the break, Niamh Kilkenny added three points to go with a score from Ciara Murphy, and when Rebecca Hennelly added a penalty in the 58th minute, there was just a goal between the teams. Anne Dalton then converted a free to confirm a place back in another final.

Like their old rivals, Cork got off to a quick start with a goal from Linda Collins. Julia White, Orla Cotter and Orla Cronin tacked on points. Collins slotted a point before notching up her second goal and the Rebels were 10 points clear. Limerick snatched a goal from Sarah Carey and points from Mulcahy and Mary O'Callaghan to make it 2-9 to 1-7 at the interval.

Collins added another couple of points after the resumption and Cotter fired three more as Cork stretched their lead to eight.

Mulcahy found the net from a 58th-minute penalty as the girls in green poured forward, and when the cultured attacker pointed straight afterwards, it was a one-score game.

As in the other semi-final, however, experience showed and Amy O'Connor stepped up to fire over an insurance to keep the Munster champions at bay and set up a familiar final pairing.

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